Someone recently told me that Uchiyama's book "How to Cook Your Life" contains a story about a serious foot infection that Uchiyama got during the post-war period in Japan. He had no access to medical care, so he had to deal with the pain without pain killers. He developed a meditation technique that did nothing for the pain, but reduced the suffering, if you get the distinction. He ends the story by saying that he'd be fooling himself if he thought that the experience prepared him for the next time he was in extreme pain.

Having experienced recurring pain myself, that sounds about right. Getting hit by a Mack truck doesn't prepare you for the next time the truck hits you.